Q: I have a chitalpa tree (cross between a catalpa and chilopsis) that has been in the ground about 2 1/2 years. About mid-summer each year, after it has bloomed it has a bad leaf drop. They turn a rather...

Q: We live along the river bank and recently planted two maple trees, 4 magnolias and a weeping willow. I noticed that the weeping willow, about 6 ft tall was cut down and removed by a what I’m sure was...

Q: My boyfriend & I are planning on buying some shrubs to plant in urns for the front door. We were looking into buying boxwood because we wanted to shape them into topiaries. A: ‘Green Mountain’ boxwood makes a nice...

Q: I’m having a problem with my azaleas. They seem to have lichens on the trunk. I cut them back as much as possible, fertilized and sprayed with liquid Sevin but they don’t seem to be getting any better. I...

Q: We have two ‘Sugar Tyme’ crabapple trees in our backyard. We love the trees and the small fruits that they produce for the birds, but the suckers are driving us crazy! Is there anything we can do to slow...

Q: In summer where I grew up there were wild vines that bloomed similar to passion vine. They produced a globe-shaped fruit. As kids, we’d throw the ripe fruits at each other like bombs. My mother told us the fruits...

Q: In February this year we planted a ‘Windsor’ dark sweet cherry tree in an orchard with other fruit. The tree looked healthy until a month ago when one of its branches turned brown, proceeded to black and died. Now...

Q: Would you recommend the use of a “blossom set” product on tomato plants? Are there any problems with trying to take over a bee’s job? I just want the best tomatoes I can get. A: Blossom setting sprays contain...

Q: My sister has purchased a house with a steep drop off from the road to her home. It is eroding badly. Terraces are essentially out of the question for this area, since it is very steep. What groundcovers, shrubs,...

Q: I’ve been growing three Mediterranean heather bushes since the tornado in 1998. They have outgrown their space so I need to know about moving and caring for them. A: Two plants are called Mediterranean heather: Erica carnea , which...

Q: A couple of weeks ago, a reader wanted a way to hang a hammock from her trees without harming them. We hang a hammock, with no invasion to our trees, using a chain around each tree’s trunk connected to...

Q: What are the pods on a bearded iris for? Do they have seeds? A: If you are both adventurous and patient, you’ll get lots of enjoyment from propagating iris from seed. The swollen seed pod below the faded flower...